NR 33 – 8H

Luciana Suman Jardim
24/05/2014

NR 33 - BASICS FOR WORK IN
CONFINED SPACES
This Standard aims to establish minimum
requirements for identification and recognition of
confined spaces, evaluation, monitoring and
control of risks, in order to permanently guarantee
the safety and health of workers who interact
directly or indirectly in such spaces.

Why studies that?

STATISTICAL
According to OSHA:

 Of the deaths in Confined Spaces:
 60% atmospheric hazards;
(Of these 40% - O2 deficiency)
 30% for lack of knowledge;
 10% for other reasons;
In Brazil:
 60% of deaths are due to lack of knowledge;

item 33. which has limited means
of entry and exit.2.1.
. states that:
Confined Space is any area or environment not designed
for continuous human occupancy.The legal definition expressed in
NR33. which is insufficient ventilation to remove
contaminants or where there might be a deficiency or
oxygen enrichment.

. vats.
Confined spaces include but are not limited to
storage tanks. such as tanks and silos. silos. boilers. unfavorable natural
ventilation which could contain or produce
contaminants of air can contain products that
may involve or suffocate anyone in this
environment. tunnels. cylinders. pumps. process vessels. pipelines
generally galleries sewers. wells. reactors.The legal definition refers to a space with
dimensions and limited openings for entry and
exit.
pits. and that which is not recommended
for continuous occupation of people. storage.

However. transporting and / or process which is closed. cleaning or are
inhabited by accident.
.
The confined space is identified by the existence of one
of the conditions listed below:
 Existence of little room for input and output of the
environment.
 No ventilation or poor ventilation. repair. occasionally these spaces must be occupied
to perform maintenance.It is understood as inappropriate environment for
human occupancy any space that was designed for
storing.

WHAT IS VENTILATION?
.

especially in environments that are used to
store chemicals and in particular. these environments can trap
dangerous gases and harmful to human life. organic
chemicals.Usually
confined
spaces
are
poorly
ventilated due to its allocation of project. ie
the atmosphere or inside a confined space
is distinct from the outside atmosphere.
. such as H2S (hydrogen sulfide). organics decompose and can
often deteriorate in the form of dangerous
products. For
this reason.

Confined
spaces
do
not
possess
or
produce toxic substances may not have
enough
concentration
of
oxygen
to
support human life. Another danger of
confined spaces is the ability to retain
that flammable mixtures depending on
concentration
and
temperature
conditions of ignition can be detonated
.

Signs warning not to use O2 as a unique
element
to
ventilate
environment
(Fundacentro. 2006)
.

irritation
or other conditions that may prevent the
exit of a confined space.
.CONDITION IMMEDIATELY DANGEROUS
TO LIFE OR HEALTH (IDLH):
Any condition that puts an immediate risk
of death or which may result in irreversible
health effects immediately or severe or
which may result in eye damage.

c) maintain permanent signage at the entrance of
the confined space in accordance with Annex I to
this rule.3:
a) maintain updated records of all confined
spaces. including the disabled. signal.
b) develop measures to isolate. the
standard announced in his item 33.3. and their risks. control or
eliminate hazards in the confined space.
.ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES
The NR 33 establishes the need to propose
administrative measures for implementation of
services in confined spaces. Among these.

e) adapt the model input and Work Permit
provided for in Annex II of NR.d) Implement procedures for working in
confined space.
h) to deliver one of the workers and allowed to
Watcher copy of Entry Permit and Work.
f) complete. the peculiarities
of the company and its confined spaces.
. in triplicate.
g) having a control system that allows the
tracking of Entry Permit and Work. and the
Entry Work Permit before the entrance of
workers in confined spaces. sign and date.

i) close the Permission Entry Work and when
operations are completed when an unforeseen
condition or when a break or interruption of
work.
j) maintaining the stored procedures and entry
permits and work for five years. identify the duties of each
employee and providing the training required
.
l) designate the persons who will participate in
entry operations.
k) provide the procedures and Entry Permit and
Work for the attention of employees authorized
representatives and inspection of work.

m) establish procedures for the supervision
of the work abroad and within confined
spaces.
considering the location.
n) ensure that access to the confined space
only be initiated with monitoring and
supervision of qualified approval
o) ensure that all employees are informed
of the risks and control measures at the
place of employment.
p) to implement a Respiratory Protection
Program in accordance with risk analysis. complexity and
.

explosion and
poisoning. Ban on use of oxygen for
ventilation of a confined
• Effective local exhaust ventilation to
make the extraction of contaminants and
general ventilation that runs the air
.PLANNING OF WORK IN CONFINED
SPACES
Before starting work in a confined area is
necessary to make a preliminary inspection
of the site and must necessarily take steps
to:
• Continuous Monitoring of substance that
causes asphyxiation.

The shutdown
of equipment must be guaranteed by
a reliable procedure for the blocking.
• Equipment that may generate some
risk must be disabled.PLANNING OF WORK IN CONFINED
SPACES
• Choice of appropriate PPE for
protection chemicals.
• Signaling with information clearly and
permanently during the performance
of work within confined spaces.
.

Annex 1 NR 33 provides
for the following signs:
SIGNS
OF
. It is important that
confined spaces are identified
to
monitor
and
prevent
unauthorized
access
to
confined spaces.
• By identifying the confined
space is necessary to check if
the entry does not require
special measures to control
risks.IDENTIFICATION AND
CONFINED SPACE
• Confined spaces generally in
business are identified and
registered and should be
flagged.

Signs indicating the required PPE for the area
. bio safety and risk of
explosion or infected material. radiation.ADDITIONAL SIGNS
Electricity.

• Escape Route need to be bellow.
.Attention
• Confined spaces must display an
identification sign with a distinct
space.
more near of the floor. numbering or lettering the
name of the tank or vessel.

ENTRY PERMIT AND WORK IN
CONFINED SPACES – PET
• In confined areas considered as the entry of
persons is allowed only after release by means
of permission to work (EN).
. which is a
written document containing a set of measures
aimed at controlling the entry and development
of safe work. and emergency measures and
rescue in confined spaces.
• The NR33 calls this document as ENTRY PERMIT
AND WORK IN CONFINED SPACE.

NR-33.The entry permit is only valid for
one entry.NOTE .3.1
.3.

A permission to entry and work shall
have at least the following items:
 Identify the persons authorized to
enter the confined space. Inform the commencement
date of service.
 Establish the conditions for entry.
 Reason for entry into the confined
space.
.
 Inform the length of services.

PPE
and rescue equipment. Responsible for evaluation and
other atmospheric conditions.
 Communication equipment.
.
 Determine whether there is need
for periodic measurements of
atmospheric conditions in the case
of long term service.

Furthermore.
.Besides the performers permission to
work in confined spaces of the services
should be trained to respond to the
peculiarities of working in confined space. there should be if necessary
for the systematic verification of the
conditions of ventilation of the place
where the service will be held in order to
monitor and verify the conditions of
human occupation in that environment
and whether or not to use equipment to
develop specific tasks ass As is shown in
the picture below.

oxygen
content (O2). must be provided
ventilation or exhaust systems. presence of organic vapors and
flammable or hazardous quantities are
prohibitive. presence and amount of
hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
. for example. and asphyxiating substances.Can be monitored.
If there is a need. carbon monoxide
(CO).

MODEL OF PET
.

RESCUE / RESCUE IN CONFINED
SPACE
• Standard operating procedure.
performed by staff with specialized
technical expertise to rescue and
provide first aid to workers in case
of emergency.
.

After a period of four
minutes without oxygen. because that
serves all these resources if there is no
qualified staff to run the rescue.• The time for rescue in confined space is
extremely limited. We stress the importance of training of
personnel involved in the work.
. most likely the
worker is choking and can cause injury or
death to celebrate.
• Due to the need to provide first aid to
workers in confined spaces is important to
have all the resources necessary to provide
relief.

LEGAL OBLIGATIONS
• The NR 33 establishes and defines
the responsibilities of both employer
and employee over the confined
space.
.

3.
d) implementing management safety and health at
work in confined spaces.
c) identify the specific risks in the confined space. administrative.
.2. for technical preventive
measures.1
include:
a) formally indicate the person responsible for
technical compliance with this standard. personal and emergency
and rescue services to ensure permanently
environments with adequate working conditions.OBLIGATIONS OF EMPLOYER
Among the legal obligations provided for
employers item 33.
b) identify the confined spaces at that facility.

as the model in
Annex II of NR.
g) to provide contractors information on
risks in areas where they develop their
activities and require the training of their
employees.e) ensuring the continued training of workers
about the risks.
emergency and rescue in confined spaces.
f) ensure that access to the confined space
only occurs after the issue in writing to the
Permission Entry and Labor.
. control measures.

• j) Ensure updated information about risks and
control measures before each access to
confined spaces
.• h) monitor the implementation of security
measures and health of employees of
contractors providing the means and
conditions for them to act in accordance with
this NR.
•
i) stop any kind of work in case of suspicion
of the condition of serious and imminent risk.
proceeding to the immediate abandonment
of the site.